Jannik Sinner made a strong comeback at the Internazionali BNL d’Italia in Rome, marking his first tournament since the Australian Open. This week, he played four sets and won all of them, demonstrating his resilience and skill on the court.
Sinner’s Impressive Performance Against De Jong
On Saturday, Sinner triumphed in his first match in over three months against Mariano Navone. He followed that up with another solid performance on Monday, defeating Dutch lucky loser Jesper de Jong with a score of 6-4, 6-2.
Playing in front of an enthusiastic Italian crowd on Campo Centrale, Sinner initially lost a break advantage in the first set but quickly bounced back. In the second set, Sinner stepped up his game, especially after De Jong injured his right wrist during a slip. Sinner showed good sportsmanship, helping De Jong up and offering him a towel. After receiving medical attention and having his wrist heavily wrapped, De Jong continued to play but struggled with the injury, often shaking out his wrist between points.
“It was a completely different match from the first one, different conditions,” Sinner commented. “I felt like I started well but then had a dip, and he started playing better. I managed to break him again at 4-4, which boosted my confidence. The second set played out in a way that was more favorable for me after his injury. He’s a great player and an even better person, and I hope his injury isn’t serious.”
With his victory taking just one hour and 35 minutes, Sinner extended his winning streak to 23 matches and remains undefeated against players ranked outside the Top 20 since the 2023 US Open. Sinner moved well on the court and hit the ball cleanly in only his second match since winning his third major title in January. He was aggressive on return, winning 71% of points on De Jong’s second serve. He stayed close to the baseline to control the match and secured the win on his first match point.
Now, Sinner is in the fourth round in Rome for the fourth time and will face Francisco Cerundolo next. Cerundolo recently reached the semi-finals in Madrid and defeated Sebastian Ofner 6-2, 6-4. In their previous encounter in Rome earlier this year, Cerundolo came out on top, leaving their head-to-head record tied at 2-2. Sinner’s performance in this tournament has set high expectations for his upcoming matches, as fans eagerly await to see if he can continue his impressive run.